Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim witnessed an exchange of the construction agreement for the Rantau Panjang-Su-ngai Kolok Bridge Project, during the working visit to Thailand by the Malaysian Prime Minister on 17 April 2025.

The constriction agreement was exchanged at Government House in Bangkok by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Suriya Jungrungreangkit and Dato’ Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, Malaysian Minister of Works.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn cited the project as an enduring symbol of the close and longstanding friendship between Thailand and Malaysia. The project, linking Rantau Panjang in Malaysia and Su-ngai Kolok in Thailand’s southern border province of Narathiwat, involves the construction of a new bridge parallel to the existing one and upgrades to the original structure. 

Scheduled to be completed by 2027, the project will facilitate the travel of people and goods transportation between Thailand and Malaysia. It will also help boost tourism, promote cross-border trade, and connect special economic zones along the Thai-Malaysian border.

During the working visit, the Prime Minister of Malaysia held discussions with Prime Minister Paetongtarn on promoting sustainable peace in the southern border provinces of Thailand, with an emphasis on socio-economic development. Both prime ministers shared the view of enhancing connectivity for greater cooperation and the prosperity and wellbeing of the peoples of the two countries.

As for peace talks on peace-building in the deep South of Thailand, they have learned that working teams of both sides continued to arrange meetings for discussions on the issue at various levels and with relevant groups.

The Thai and Malaysian prime ministers also exchanged views on the United States' imposition of reciprocal tariffs and the importance of strengthening ASEAN’s unity in the face of global uncertainties. Thailand and Malaysia are neighboring countries sharing a close relationship and are founding members of ASEAN. Thailand emphasized its support for Malaysia, as current ASEAN Chair, to address the issue and further deepen regional integration.